Composer: Jeremy Mayall

How did you go about turning the idea of seasonal signs in Aotearoa into music? What should students expect to hear? 

The process of turning seasonal signs into music was all about thinking about the sounds we can hear in nature (like birds, wind, water, and insects) and then imagining how this might be translated into musical instruments. Some of those sounds could be played like echoes - bird song on flutes, insects scurrying with woodblocks. Other things had to be represented in a creative musical approach. Weaving melodies on the strings to display flowing water. Or the combination of melodies reaching upwards alongside the bell-like glockenspiel representing the stars in the sky.  

The act of composing is an interesting process of thinking about concepts and ideas and stories and finding ways to convert those things into musical motifs. Hopefully the students will be able to hear some of those types of musical shapes and ideas that create sonic landscapes that work alongside the words in the story and visuals that will be created.  

To see about the composing process, have a look at this: /spIbuudsxXE?si=GlFQIONfjTrn1q9C  

What do you hope tamariki will feel or think about after hearing this music? 

I hope that the tamariki will feel inspired to explore the world around us after hearing this music. The goal is to utilise the power of music to share stories, to inspire positive action in our environment, and to showcase how connected our communities can be and the pathways our tamariki can pursue into a positive future. 

It would be great if it shares some of the wonderful sounds of the orchestra - showcasing the depth and breadth of different sounds and musical textures that emerge from this wonderful large ensemble. New music is an important part of expressing what it means to live and play in the current time, so being open to exploring new music, engaging in new ideas, and looking forward to local stories that are part of our communities. I really hope this music will lead tamariki to explore more local musical experiences.  

Visual Artist: Marcus Winter

What makes live sand art such a powerful way to tell stories, and how will you bring Ngā Tohu o te Taiao to life through sand? 

Watching the process of something come together in front of your eyes is mesmerising. I've always been fascinated with live art painting performers, I saw how people enjoyed not the the end product - but the creative process. Sand art is a powerful way to tell stories because its fluid and can help hold peoples attention with a swipe of a hand worlds are created and also can dissapear. With the added live music from the amazing NZSO will only elevate the experience. 

My challenge in bringing Nga Tohu o te Taiao to life through sand - is spending time with the music and the visuals to ensure they help compliment the message, finding ways to transition from one image to another. 

Sand is connected to the whenua, and through story is can also connect all of us. 

This concert celebrates the signs of nature in Aotearoa – what do those signs mean to you personally, and how have they inspired your artwork for this project? 

We have a unique way we see the world down here in Aotearoa. There has been a revitalisation of Māori ancestoral knowledge and wisdom in current times, that knowledge was lost due to colonisation. This knowledge helped us better understand our relationship to natural world - Māori understood that they were 'part of the environment' and did not try to 'control the environment'. When we understand our place in nature we can better be prepared to 'work with' the environment instead of against it. The observations made over hundreds and thousands of years, from the land, sea and sky - gave them the knowledge and skills to know the optimum times to fish, hunt, build, harvest, sail etc - even down to the specific moon phase! Miharo!  It's inspiring unpacking all the beautiful korero that is sometimes masked in māori stories- I get to reveal them in sand. 

It's challenging in this day in age where phones, and devices are distracting us from some of the beautiful experiences in life - like looking out to a beautiful sunset, by the time I tell the kids and they've looked up from their devices they already missed it!  Aue!  No doubt I will miss too - being caught up in the 'busy-ness' that happens to us all. It's important for me from time to time to pull handbrake - and just sit, tune into myself - become aware of my environment, and see how I might better work, aligning my tasks within my surroundings, and being grateful.